A Naval Academy slush fund

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 10:41 AM Share

The superintendent at Annapolis is ousted over an off-the-books slush fund.

In this case, there was no accountability, because the fund was unknown to the assigned government auditor and it was held outside of any authorized system of government accounting," the report said.

The report noted that expenditures made from the fund were 'extravagant and wasteful.'"

Tom again: No wonder dope-smoking football players didn't raise eyebrows -- the admirals were too busy partying with the taxpayers' money. Funny how people who are all huffy about government waste elsewhere aren't perturbed when it happens at our military academies.

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JPWREL

4:09 PM ET

June 29, 2010

Anticipating ‘Rubber Ducky’s’

Anticipating ‘Rubber Ducky’s’ response to this sordid situation I just add that I agree with him 100%.

SOAP MCTAVISH

4:11 PM ET

June 29, 2010

hmmm

so quick with the "inbred snobs," but nothing to say about the USNA slush fund? bummer...

SOAP MCTAVISH

4:12 PM ET

June 29, 2010

excellent.

haha touche

JPWREL

4:26 PM ET

June 29, 2010

Inbred snobs can also wear

Inbred snobs can also wear blue.

RUBBER DUCKY

4:15 PM ET

June 29, 2010

And I agree with JPWREL...

Tell me which is more laughable, that Fowler was placed in the job as a role model ... or that he's the role model the Navy thought appropriate. Rickover had it right: close it!

OPSUPPORTER

4:26 PM ET

June 29, 2010

The Wine and Brie Curcuit

Why do so many FO/GOs want to use operating funds for these smooze fests. Can the Service Academies not recuit in this youth market within the budget? Or are these events about FO/GOs living some F.Scott Fitzgerald fantasy on the DoD dime? Like my first squad leader told me on my first day in the platoon, "If you're planning on being an a**hole, you'd better be a PERFECT a**hole."

CHEERNAVY

6:18 PM ET

June 30, 2010

recruiting

Have you been to the academy? Of course recruiting is an issue! Let's see graduating senior. You have a 4.5 GPA and a perfect ACT score. Do you want to go to a place where you will have no freedom, get yelled at every day, be treated unfairly based on you sex or race and then spend 5 years after graduation at war, or would you like to go to your local state university party like a rock star, study minimally, and still receive a degree.
NO QUESTION for most 18 year olds. Recruiting is CERTAINLY and issue.
The academy prides it's self on producing the best of the best, but in my experience, there are only a handful of officers that graduate that are true leaders. Most are just geeky guys with good test scores that have had their egos inflated for 4 years by being told they are "the best of the best". The place where you will find the most true leaders is on the football team, and they are the ones who have benefited most from the "slush fund". If you ask me, they deserve every penny!

OOFDA

5:38 PM ET

June 29, 2010

The Funds are Not Government Funds

The funds are not Government funds, they are from either alumni donations or from TV revenues. That said, the unaccountability of the funds to the auditor was wrong. The costly luncheons and tailgates were done to raise funds for Academy programs and projects that weren't covered by taxpayer funds. That aspect should be noted.

RUBBER DUCKY

6:02 PM ET

June 29, 2010

Got it.

Now... who paid taxes on these funds?

SOAP MCTAVISH

6:04 PM ET

June 29, 2010

AOG

shouldn't this be the primary domain of the association of graduates? as far as i can remember, the all the rich old dudes in the AOG are in charge of hobnobbing and fancy-schmancy tailgates...

BILL KELLER

5:13 PM ET

June 30, 2010

Developing what virtue?

"sham", "slush funds", ....how is this consistent with an institution created to promote "honor"?

Unchallenged as other past or declining American institutions have been, the Academy is developing the culture of the "exceptional". The Yard is assuming the well fed character of its French imperial architecture while the nation eats cake.

Too much money for its mission and its assets mostly pushing water, the Navy has focussed it's primary officer training center on the one security objective that matters - a sustainable series of victories over the Fighting Irish - a place with diversity, intelligence and a golden chapel dome that graciously and enthusiastically invited the President to its graduation!

Beat Ourselves! is the alumni cheer. Let us throw our inheritance with gusto to the Foundation!

This goat is old and gnarly.

CHEERNAVY

5:35 PM ET

June 30, 2010

I can't believe we are havinhg this conversation

You are mistaken if you are under the impression that the "slush fund" money is tax payer dollars. The football team earned that money by working harder than any other midshipman on the yard. If they had not earned the bowl appearance, there would be no cash to speak of, let alone any sponsor dollars to add to the pot.
Let the foundation spend the money as they wish, appropriately on the people who earned the money, the football team, the coaches and the prospective donars. And let me tell you this, if you don't spend money on recruiting videos, trucks that are needed to transport equiptment to games, perks to keep GOOD coaches around, and an occassional steak dinner on the football team you won't be recruiting a single decent player, and you all will be watching Navy get there ass kicked by Army and Air Force!
GO NAVY

QPZMGR

7:22 AM ET

July 8, 2010

Have you been to the

Have you been to the academy? Of course recruiting is an issue! Let's see graduating senior. You have a 4.5 GPA and a perfect ACT score. Do you want to go to a place where you will have no freedom, get yelled at every day, be treated unfairly based on you sex or race and then spend 5 years after graduation at war, or would you like to go to your local state university party like a rock star, study minimally, and still receive a degree.
NO QUESTION for most 18 year olds. Recruiting is CERTAINLY and issue.
The academy prides it's self on producing the best of the best, but in my experience, there are only a handful of officers that graduate that are true leaders. Most are just geeky guys with good test scores that have had their egos inflated for 4 years by replica hublot being told they are "the best of the best". The place where you will find the most true leaders is on the football team, and they are the ones who have benefited most from th